Job Discussion Forums

[LH123]

First time post, long-time reader (more or less).

In a sentence: I am interested in working in Saudi Arabia.

I would greatly appreciate some input and insight from those who are living and working/have lived and worked there regarding the following. Thank you, in advance!

I am a 30 year-old British male, I have a CELTA, DELTA, BA in Modern Languages, and am finishing my M.Ed in Applied Linguistics in September this year. I have 8 years' teaching experience in South East Asia, Europe and South America. I do not speak Arabic and have very little hands-on experience of Middle-Eastern culture - aside from backpacking in Egypt and having a few Middle-Eastern students in London for a while. I am not naive, however, and have a rough idea of what faces me.

Why Saudi? Put short, I am in it for the money. I am not in debt, but I would like a little to be saved away for the future - so Saudi seems like an obvious choice. I don't have a partner or any dependants, nor am I particularly settled anywhere.

My understanding of the situation is as follows:

The average salary for Saudi hovers around US$30-40k per year. This is not bucket-loads, but is distinctly higher-than-average considering ELT salaries world-wide. What makes Saudi special is that to live there you are existing on a state of near-exile - there is nothing to do, ergo, nothing much to spend much money on. I have historically spent quite a lot on hedonism, and so would relish the opportunity to be in an environment where I would not be able to continue doing so. So, I'd have a relatively good opportunity to save money - my ultimate objective.

This is what I would like. I am more than happy to live and work in a less-than-desirable place for a couple of years so that I may later have a useful sum of money to use constructively.

I am also aware, however, that many employment contexts in Saudi are lamentably unprofessional - I'd like to avoid those, although have no idea of how to identify them.

But, all of the above I have inferred from reading this forum and others, and from second-hand anecdotes from ME veterans. My questions, then, go as follows:

1. So far, am I right? Considering my objectives, am I correct in choosing Saudi as a destination?

2. Is my synopsis of working in Saudi realistic, objective and accurate?

3. Given my experience and qualifications, where should I be looking for a position that suits me? As in, what websites (etc...) should I be looking at?

4. Is living in a "compound" the norm?

Again, thank you to anyone who takes the time to reply - I greatly appreciate it.

LH

[veiledsentiments]

[LH123]

Thank you.

But do you think it would be easier to save in SA than (say) Qatar or the UAE?

[007]

Well, if you want to escape hedonism, and live the life of an anhedonic or experiencing asceticism (both material and spiritual!), then the Magic Kingdom is the best laboratory for you!
I do not think Qatar or UAE will be a good environemnt for an anhedonic or an ascetic.

[LH123]

[scot47]

You can spend money in Saudi. I am writing this surrounded by books, dvd's cd's, electronic jink and many bother things I have bought with my US$4000 monthly salary. (For her Nilotic Majesty that is SR15,000)

For those who wish to live as ascetics, membership of the Fellowship of Five Hundred is always open.

[LH123]

Thanks Scot47. Do you think it is realistic for someone to live and work in Saudi and save money, given a certain level of personal discipline?

[scot47]

Sure. But things turn out differently from your plans. Coming here is a life-changing experience. And be aware that the worship of Mammon has a price.

And do not believe everything you read - from felines or canines.

[cmp45]

[scot47]

My dear cmp,


Doubt should be encouraged. There was a time when a liberal education encouraged us to question what we read, hear and see. No more, alas.

[Cuffs]

Can I just say well done for doing some research before asking any questions...it's a blessed relief.

Nobody seems to have answered your questions about what type of institution to apply to yet. I'd say you have 2 choices: a large university in one of the large cities, or Aramco. Avoid all else. I don't have any experience of the former but have worked at the latter for the past 6 months, and it's the easiest & most lucrative job I've ever had - and they are bringing in more & more westerners all the time.

Keep an eye out on the usual job boards and have your CV ready and loaded to fire off. With your quals & experience you could easily pull in $5-6000 a month. The lack of ME experience isn't a big turn-off for them, as long as you can convince them that you've dealt successfully with tricky, unmotivated students in the past and can handle anything that might conceivably be thrown at you.

As for your hedonistic past, well...you know what they say about old habits. You don't have to turn in to a hermit. Day-to-day living in KSA is cheap as chips compared to the faster-developing Gulf States (Dubai has rolled back a bit recently, Qatar is ridiculous, Abu Dhabi has a big housing shortage, the other places aren't worth it from a cashing-up point of view). I make it over to Bahrain about once a month because I need to. A fun weekend there would probably set you back SR1500-2000 depending on how far you were pushing the boat out, and if you drove over. Air Arabia is great for cheap flights elsewhere, or to Bahrain if you're not within driving distance.

PM me if you want any further info.

[LH123]

Thanks for taking the time to reply comprehensively Cuffs, I'll look into Aramco, and might PM you shortly.

[meyanga]

You could give the British Council a try. Not sure if they are actively recruiting at the moment, but you could check the website.

You can still save money and buy yourself a few luxuries every month.

Meyanga

[Sheikh N Bake]

LH, you should not assume you're going to be spending all your money in the Emirates. I was married with a kid in Dubai and I paid off my house in six years. Why on earth would I have considered Saudi Arabia at the time when we could have a very pleasant life with FRIENDS TO CHOOSE (instead of just male teacher colleagues)...not to mention 1,000 things to do that are nonexistent in the tragical magical Kingdom.

[scot47]

British Council were advertising a few weeks ago.